Veterans Deserve Standards, Not Shortcuts

Ryan Hawley, CEO of Shield of Odin, outlines a need for common sense standards in the Veterans Services Industry

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ --

My name is Ryan Hawley. I'm the founder and CEO of Shield of Odin, and I've spent much of my career working in complex medical, insurance, and regulatory environments where the consequences of cutting corners are very real. I'm writing this because the veteran medical documentation industry is at an inflection point—and pretending otherwise does veterans no favors.

Veterans have the legal right to seek independent medical opinions outside the VA system. That right is well established. What is not well established—yet—is a consistent, ethical standard for how those services are delivered, explained, and marketed.

And that's a problem.

Independent medical documentation, when done correctly, is a legitimate medical service. When done poorly—or dishonestly—it becomes something else entirely: confusion at best, exploitation at worst. Veterans navigating the VA disability process are already dealing with complexity, delays, and frustration. They should not also have to decipher misleading claims, implied guarantees, or blurred lines between medicine and advocacy.

Let's be clear about what independent medical opinions are supposed to be.

They are medical assessments performed by licensed clinicians, based on record review, clinical judgment, and accepted medical literature. They are not promises. They are not shortcuts. They do not override the VA's authority, and they do not compel outcomes. They are one piece of evidence among many.

Any company that suggests otherwise is not educating veterans—it's setting them up for disappointment.

Over the past several years, demand for private medical documentation has grown rapidly. Some of that growth is understandable. VA backlogs are real. Access challenges are real. Veterans want clarity about their own medical histories, and they are allowed to pay privately for that clarity.

But growth without guardrails creates risk.

I've seen services marketed as if medical opinions are guaranteed tickets to higher ratings. I've seen credentials obscured or minimized. I've seen medical documentation bundled with coaching, strategy, or implied influence over VA decision-making. And I've seen veterans left confused about what they actually purchased.

That's not a regulatory gray area. That's an ethical failure.

If this industry wants to be taken seriously—by veterans, regulators, or the broader medical community—we need to stop acting like standards are optional. Self-regulation is not a threat to legitimate providers. It's the only path forward.

At Shield of Odin, we've taken a hard stance on this. We separate medical services from any form of advocacy or claims strategy. We disclose provider credentials clearly. We state explicitly that there are no guaranteed outcomes. We do not submit claims, communicate with VA adjudicators, or represent veterans in the process. Our role is narrow by design.

That approach is not about being cautious. It's about being honest.

Veterans deserve to know exactly what a service can do—and what it cannot. They deserve informed consent, not marketing spin. They deserve to understand that medical evidence supports a claim but does not decide it.

Some will argue that imposing standards stifles innovation or competition. I disagree. Real competition is built on quality, transparency, and trust—not on who can make the boldest promise.

Others worry that calling for standards invites more regulation. I would argue the opposite. Industries that fail to self-regulate invite external enforcement. We've seen this play out repeatedly in healthcare, finance, and insurance. Veteran services will not be an exception.

If we don't define ethical boundaries ourselves, someone else will do it for us—and they won't be as forgiving.

The standards I'm calling for are not radical. They're common sense:

Providers should clearly disclose who is writing a medical opinion and what their credentials are. Companies should state plainly that no medical service can guarantee a VA outcome. Medical documentation should be kept separate from coaching, representation, or claims strategy. And veterans should be given plain-language explanations of how the VA adjudication process actually works.

These standards don't restrict veterans' rights. They protect them.

The VA remains a critical institution for millions of veterans. Independent medical opinions are not an attack on that system—they are a lawful supplement. But supplementation requires responsibility. It requires humility about what private services can and cannot do. Veterans are not looking for magic. They're looking for clarity.

If this industry wants to survive regulatory scrutiny and earn long-term trust, we need to stop competing on promises and start competing on professionalism. Veterans have earned that much.

And frankly, anything less is not worthy of them.

Learn More
Veterans and industry stakeholders who want to learn more about independent medical documentation services or Shield of Odin's approach to transparency and compliance can visit https://www.shieldofodin.com or contact [email protected]. All services are elective, privately paid, and provided without affiliation to or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

SOURCE Odin Industries LLC